Project Planning and Design

Project Planning and Design Skills Include:

    Project Cost Estimation

    Ability to determine cost of project construction, maintenance and related oversight, permitting and planning (including tools, consumables, volunteer and staff time, equipment, materials), locating sources of professional and technical assistance, and evaluating contract proposals.

    Implementation Plan

    Accurately interpret specifications, construction process notes, and construction documents to develop an implementation plan based on available labor and funding.

    Trail Specifications

    Identify trail elements (i.e. tread material, width, height, grades, and structures) that are appropriate for the intended use, resource conditions, budget, and stewardship capacity.

    Design

    Delineate the trail alignment, width, height, grade and structures appropriate to the intended trail use.

    Trail Plans

    Transfer field-delineated trail design (location, alignment, structures), along with construction process, materials, notes, special conditions into a document that will guide the trail development process.

    Interpretation

    Identify specific interpretive and educational opportunities on trails to contextualize the visitor experience (e.g., history, habitats, scenery, flora/fauna), and make recommendations for interpretive method.

    Permitting

    Ensure compliance with applicable permitting requirements including (but not limited to): National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), Section 106 of the Antiquities Act, the Historic Preservation Act, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), local and regional permitting, water/wetland crossings, environmental review compliance, etc.

    Universal Design/ADA Accessibility

    Use universal design principles, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Architectural Barriers Act accessibility standards to design, layout, and lead construction of accessible trail and trail facilities.


Learn More

Resources for Project Planning and Design

Introduction to Trail Assessment Using UTAP and HETAP
Introduction to Trail Assessment Using UTAP and HETAP

This webinar will discuss the assessment work that Beneficial Designs does in regards to the Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP) and the High-Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP) and how the data is collected and can be viewed by the…

United States Access Board - Outdoor Developed Areas
United States Access Board - Outdoor Developed Areas

The Access Board is responsible for developing accessibility guidelines for the construction and alteration of facilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968.

Approvals, Permits, and Compliance
Approvals, Permits, and Compliance

This webinar will walk through the typical processes, jurisdictions, timelines, and documentation needed to get a conceptual trail project through approval and implementation.

THE INTERTWINE Regional Trails Signage Guidelines
THE INTERTWINE Regional Trails Signage Guidelines

This manual serves as a technical resource to guide parks and transportation agencies as they plan, design, and fabricate wayfinding signage along regional trails in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area.

Further Education

Related Training Programs

See all training programs

Improve this skill

Upcoming Trainings for Project Planning and Design

California Trails & Greenways 2024
California Trails and Greenways Foundation (CTGF)
California Trails and Greenways Foundation (CTGF)
California Trails & Greenways 2024

April 30 - May 03, 2024

The Great Trails State 2024 Conference
The Great Trails State 2024 Conference

September 11 - April 15, 2024

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Custom Trainings

There are 52 trainers on TrailSkills
with Project Planning and Design experience.

Mark

Mark Loseth

Contractor Trainer

Flagstaff, AZ

For over 10 years, I have been designing and leading field-based trail trainings for land agencies,…

Mariah

Mariah Keagy

Sinuosity

Contractor Trainer

Morristown, VT

Mariah Keagy began her career in trail construction and reconstruction in the Green Mountains…

Sarah

Sarah Walter

Penn Trails LLC

Contractor Trainer

Carlisle, PA

Sarah is a licensed Landscape Architect in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with prior experience in…

Jerome

Jerome Pelland

Sentiers Boréals, Inc.

Contractor Trainer

Granby

Emma

Emma Bixler

CorpsTHAT, Inc.

Trainer Corps Nonprofit

Baltimore, MD

I have worked in the conservation corps industry for over 10 years with a focus on creating…

Andy

Andy Crowley

Contractor Trainer

Ashland, NH

Conservation Trail Services LLC. Working with private, non-profit, and…

Search and sort all 52 trainers

Hire Workers

There are 198 profiles on TrailSkills
with Project Planning and Design experience.

Jonathan

Jonathan Bobian

Contractor

Walsenburg, CO

My name is Jonathan Bobian. I’ve been in this industry for 3 years now and I have learned a lot…

Erik

Erik Taylor

Agency

Folsom, CA

Recreation planner and project manager with California State Parks.

Daniel

Daniel Whitaker

American River Parkway Foundation

Trainer Nonprofit

Carmichael, CA

Began on a trail crew with the Arizona Conservation Corps. We maintained trails in the Coronado…

Joe

Joe Gibson

National Park Service

Agency

San Francisco, CA

Danielle

Danielle Berry

Sierra Institute for Community and Environment

Nonprofit

Taylorsville, CA

Brooke

Brooke Scatchard

Sinuosity

Contractor Trainer

Morristown, VT

Brooke’s many years of experience in planning, building, and riding mountain bike trails provide a…

Search and sort all 198 workers

Suggest a Resource

Contact Us

Know of a good resource for this skill? Let us know! From webinars, to workshops, to PDFs, we'd like to add them to our resource library.

Let us know
Trail Skills Collaborators
Federal Highway Administration USDA Forest Service National Park Service Bureau of Land Management
American Trails Professional TrailBuilders Association Partnership for the National Trails System Northern Vermont University Northwest Arkansas Community College Eppley Institute Corps Network